A Morphing Upper Torso would be beneficial for any future exploration mission and any future EVA suit. The ability to resize the torso will minimize the number of sizes needed yet allow for some "customization" among individual wearers. The additional mobility provided by such a close fitting suit for all crewmembers will be extremely beneficial for exploration of the Moon, Mars, NEOs, or future ISS construction and maintenance tasks. Furthermore, the ability to resize the suit torso during long duration missions also provides a means to address body dimensional changes associate to long duration exposure to microgravity and thereby enhance the overall performance and efficiency of the suited crewmember. NASA will benefit by ultimately implementing this technology into future suit designs, and hence improving suit logistics, minimizing costs and maximizing crewmember productivity.
The concept of an adjustable exoskeleton type suit is of keen interest to the United States Military. The work performed in this project can be leveraged for military applications through the development of systems to evenly and efficiently distribute soldier-borne equipment weight. Additionally, the design of components capable of quick adjustment can be leveraged for other protective equipment utilized in extreme environments, such as hazmat suits and firefighters turnout gear.
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